Horton Hears a Who: Role Model
by salyko
Summary: Jojo, by all means, is an individual. One of a kind. No other Who in Whoville is quite like him.


Disclaimer: I do not own Horton Hears a Who or any of its characters. Any similarity my OCs may have with anyone else's OCs is by accident and not intended at all.

This is one of my first pieces. Please, I would like feedback.

EDIT: I just went back and changed some things because... well, because I wanted to!

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Jojo is known as many things nowadays. He is the quiet genius that had save all of the Whos in Whoville. He is the sole son of the Great Mayor, Ned McDodd. He is the boy that restored the abandoned Observatory into something amazing. Jojo is the voice that had rung out after many years of silence.

Jojo, by all means, is an individual. One of a kind. No other Who in Whoville is quite like him.

I sighed and watched my sisters mess around with all of their toys, WhoPhones, WhoPods, flip through magazines and chatted about the latest trends. It was something I listened to everyday, but I never joined in. I never really wanted to. It's not that I hated my sisters. I just wasn't interested in the same things as them.

"Hey Hazel," my younger sister, Halia, addressed me, climbing on top of my bed, "Which do you think is a better role model? Selena Whomez or Miley Cyuwho? Personally, I think Miley Cyuwho is better."

"Does it matter? They're pretty much the same…" I shrugged my shoulders and fell back against my bed. Halia, unsatisfied with my answer, jumped off and went to ask one of our older sisters.

Those girls Halia mention were nice, but they seemed like every other girl in Hollywhowood. If I had to pick someone to look up to, I wouldn't want that person to just be another copy of the person next to them. I wanted to be someone different, someone who stood out from the crowd.

_Heh. Yeah right. Like that's even possible with ninety-five sisters, _I rolled my eyes, _Guess the bowling league didn't work out for mom and dad._

In the midst of all the noise of my sisters, I could hear the sound of someone softly strumming away at a guitar down the hall. I smiled a little bit and closed my eyes, to try to block out all the noise around me and focus on the beautiful melody being played.

"HEY!!"

_**BANG!**_

"OWIE!! Heather! That was mean!"

"Shut up, Holly! Don't steal my hairbrush!"

"BOTH OF YOU BE QUIET NOW!! I CAN'T HEAR MY MUSIC!!"

_Yeah, no kidding,_ I silently agreed in my thoughts. I scowled and tried to focus harder. I could make out some brief notes being played…

_**WHAP!!**_

"Don't yell at them, Hallie!!"

"Don't tell me what to do!!"

"I can! I'm your older sister!!"

"Get in line!"

Huffing, I jumped off my bed and left the mess that was, unfortunately, my family. I loved them, all of them, but sometimes, I just wanted to smash a cream pie into one of their faces. But I decided to forget them and focus on the clearer sounding music I could hear. I walked at a fast pace, following the sound, until I arrived at Jojo's door.

I fiddled with one of my braids as I stood there and listened to the beautiful music. I simply stared at the door, debating if I should open it of not. If I knocked or walked in, Jojo would stop playing and probably wouldn't start again till he was sure I was gone. He didn't like any of us in his room. Just as I had decided to remain in the hallway as an unknown audience, Dad's excited voice called out.

"Oh Jojo! C'mere! I wanna show you something!"

The music stopped and I heard Jojo sigh inside his room. My eyes grew wide and I felt panic take over my senses.

_Oh, What should I do? Where should I go?_ My thoughts racing in my head, _I can't let Jojo know I was listening! He would be so mad!_

I quickly dived behind a nearby potted plant with huge leaves as Jojo opened his door. He walked down the hall, not even his footsteps making a sound. I poked my braided head out of the giant leaves and stared at his departing form.

_He's like a freaking ninja! _I thought, amazed, _Must be easy to slip away quietly or sneak up on someone…_ My thoughts drifted away as I realized a very important detail right in front of me.

He left his door wide open.

Looking back where Jojo went, I saw he was nowhere in sight. I fiddle with my braids again, trying to decide what to do. If I go in, I might get caught and that means I might get in trouble. But who knows that next time I might be able to try to play the guitar! The offer was so tempting! How on Speck could I pass it up?

_Just for a bit,_ I reasoned in my mind, _Won't even be a minute…_

I got out from behind the plant, took one more glance to see if anyone was coming and ventured into Jojo's room. I have never seen his room before so I felt very much out of place. It was so quiet and small and… quiet compared to the room my sisters and I share.

The guitar laid on the floor, just begging for someone to pick it up. I stared at it and reached down to pick it up. I positioned it in my hands, but it felt… off somehow. Shrugging my worries away, I inched my fingers closer and closer to the string, ready to make music, when…

"Hazel? What are you doing?"

I jumped and spun around to see Jojo standing in the doorway. His eyebrow was raised in confusion. I felt my face warm up and I set the guitar down quickly as if it burned me. I backed away from it and glanced at my older brother. I was taller than Jojo, as pretty much everyone in Whoville was, but the way his eyes stared at me with such intensity… I have never felt so small in my life before.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled fiddling with my braid again and shuffling my feet.

_Don't be mad, don't be mad, don't be mad, _I chanted over and over in my head. No one but him has ever touched his guitar, let alone played it. I bite my lip and let my eyes fall to the ground, ready to take whatever was about to come.

Jojo pat me on my head. I almost jumped because I didn't hear him come near me at all! He picked up the instrument and glanced at it, and then at me. I thought that meant that he wanted to be alone to play, so I made my way out to leave, but Jojo's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"You were holding it wrong."

I blinked as Jojo placed the guitar in my hands and positioned my hands and arms so that I was holding the guitar a certain way. It was slightly different than from before, but it didn't feel wrong like it did before. Jojo taught me how to hold the guitar proper. Realizing this, I couldn't hold in the grin I flashed him.

Jojo returned the smile to me and sat down on the floor. He gestured for me to sit next to him.

To the people of Whoville, Jojo was the hero. To my parents, he was their first-born and only son. To my sisters, he was our quiet, older brother.

To me, he was everything I wish I could be one day.

--

Dedicated to my older brother. He'll take over the world someday. Just watch.


End file.
